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Saturday, September 8, 2012

[Story] It Can't Be... Chapter 5

Chapter 5: [Shopping?!]

He is restless. Rolling his pen on his exercise book, leaving the empty black forever empty. His mind couldn’t concentrates on his homework. There is one more exercise that needs to be done but he closes the book slowly. On the other hand is holding a cellphone. His finger idly goes to the message menu and reads the sender name. He then pushes the button to read the message again.

Go out on 17:00. Wait at the first junction. Don’t be late. -Brian

After reading the text, he glances to his wristwatch. It’s 16:55. Just five minutes before the promising time. But he doesn’t know whether he should go out or not. He suddenly blushes. It feels like having a date. Except that your partner is a man you hate the most, not your crush. He scratches his brows. He is torn apart from going out with that prefect or let him be and gets punch at the school compound. He shudders. Both of it aren’t the best choice available. Before he left out from the room for a drink downstairs, his phone rings lowly. Brian calls him. He pushes the green button, accepts the incoming call.

“Hey, are you coming?” Brian’s voice enters directly to his ear from the speaker.

“For what actually?” he dares to ask him back. On the side of the phone, he hears Brian’s breath. The breath tickles his ears, makes his face redden.

“Just come with me.”

“I’m not coming to get punch, mind you.”

“Who said?”

“I did.”

He sighs. “All right. I’m going to fetch you at the front door and tell your parent about us having a date,” Brian answers quickly so Dan misses out certain word.

“A what?”

“A date.”

“Seriously?”

“Sort of. I’m going to ring the doorbell,” after that Brian cuts off the conversation, leaving Dan in confusion.

A date? Ah, that doesn’t make sense! Of course Brian is just teasing him. But then he hears a faint melody. The melody of the house’s doorbell. After that he hears a walking, his Ma, is going towards the door, ready to open it. All of the sudden he recalls what Brian just says:

I’m going to fetch you at the front door and tell your parent about us having a date.

Without thinking twice he rushes towards the door in panic.

Downstairs, he sees that Ma already inviting Brian for a cup of tea in the living room. He decides to eavesdrop of their conversation.

“Brian dear, your presence in my Danny’s life giving me another glint of hope that he is actually a boy,” he hears Ma says that. Dan raises his eyebrow. What Ma means?

“Oh, is that true aunty? What makes you say something like that?” he couldn’t believe his ears. Is that Brian? He sounds… nice. An actual nice. Too nice perhaps. He shivers in disgust.

“Because he always with his sister whenever they go. And then the girl Fay becomes their friend. So they were always hanging out together. I think he doesn’t have any male gendered friend,” utters Ma. Dan almost chokes after hearing it.

So what do Brian says? “Believe me, he’s change. I’m his new friend. Not a girl, but a boy,” he pauses, drinking the tea that Ma offers, “And today I’m taking him out for a—”

Thud! Dan falls. Very loud. He did it for the sake of distracting Brian from saying the D word. That makes the matter worse. He believes that Ma and Brian walk toward the door. When Ma opens it, they see Dan sitting on the floor in grimace.

“Danny, what are you doing?” Ma shocks.

“Hey Dan, glad to see you here.”

Ignoring the questions, Dan wakes up and all of them walk to the front door.

“I think we should get going, maybe the rest of the group is waiting for us,” Dan makes excuses. Brian squints.

“‘The group’? What is that? I thought that we are going for a da—”

“A day dreaming group meeting! A group of students discussing about what they could do for a better future! But we’re not actually day dreaming of course!” Dan says quickly, trying to explain the never-existing school group. Ma seems to satisfy.

“Well, it’s better for both of you go out now, right?”

“Right Ma! Let’s go, B-Brian!” Dan forces a smile, tries to convince his Ma. He pushes Brian to the door and bid goodbye to her.

“Have a nice meeting!” and then the door closes.

“Huh, that is one hell of a close call,” Dan giving out a sigh of relieve. Brian tries to talk to him when Dan cuts him off.

“We better get hurry to somewhere that you are planning to go. I don’t want Ma realizes that I lied to her.”

“You are definitely your Ma’s son.”

“Whatever.”

“Let’s go?”

“Hmph.”

And so, both of them walking to the downtown. Brian just couldn’t hide his smile.

“W-where is this place?” after a long walk, Dan finally opens his mouth to talk.

Dan just witnesses the most beautiful boutique he ever enters in his life. The display clothes are catching his eyes, from the brightest bride gown to the type of dress that you could see in Cinderella story. Not just that, even the male’s suit is here too! From the finest silk, checkered one to the bridal one, you could say that Brian’s mother’s boutique get everything in hand!

“Is this a heaven of clothes?” he wonders in awe again.

Brian stands near the display doll. “All I could say that my mother puts her best in making these. Some of the customers say that her works like a magic. They will come back here for another gowns, dresses, suits, everything.”

Even though he praises his mother, but he doesn’t show a smile while talking about it. Dan could sense a hint of gloom. “But someone doesn’t appreciate it,” he murmurs and walks toward the counter. Dan follows him slowly, wondering on what Brian just says just now.

In front of them stands a woman. Middle aged, Dan thinks, but still beautiful. She smiles serenely to him. He replies it with a smile too.

“Mother, this is Dan. Dan, this is my mother, Elicia,” Brian introduces both of them on the same time.

“Well, how should I treat you two today?” she asks.

“I’m going to a ball at the cake shop I worked. Have I told you about it?” Brian asks back, unsure.

“Yes, I heard it. Do you want to tailor your suit?” she asks again, for a confirmation. Brian shakes his head. That puzzles Dan.

“No, I want you to find a gown that suits my friend here,” he answers back in confidence. Dan, once again opens his eyes in disbelief. A gown? For him?

She chuckles politely. “Oh, boy. He’s a male, like you. Isn’t it wrong for me to choose a gown for him?”

Brian pouts makes Dan wants to laugh on that instance. “I’m not choosing the gown for him. It’s for my ball partner. She’s almost in the same size with him, so I thought that I could bring him for a few fitting,” explains Brian that makes his mother agrees on his plan and Dan’s head mix up. He is the partner that Brian just mentions for the incoming ball! I don’t want to wear a gown!!! He slaps himself softly without shocking Brian and his mother.

Within a moment Dan is holding bunch of gowns specially tailored by her. “These are the one that I think it’ll fit by your friend here. Why don’t you try it first, Dan?” he just nods weakly. While walking towards the fitting room, Brian just grinning proudly to Dan. Dan shoots a so-called deadly glare to him, but immediately reflects by Brian’s idiot smile.

“Why are you… smiling?”

“I just get a chance to see you in a gown. That’s all,” that short answer makes Dan blushes unwantedly.

“W-whatever,” he then disappears into the room.

Brian waits patiently outside. But the patience grows thinner because Dan isn’t coming out for almost ten minutes. He knocks the door desperately.

“Are you alright?”

“…” Dan murmurs something that isn’t available to hear by Brian.

“What? I can’t hear you.”

“I said I can’t zip the gown at the back,” answers him slowly. Brian laughs again.

“D-don’t laugh! It’s not easy for me to zip it up you know. It’s tight,” that makes Brian laugh even louder.

“Okay, I’m coming in to help you—”

“Don’t come in!!!” yelps Dan instance.

Too late. Brian already opens the door and then stops dead. He couldn’t believe what he just sees. From what he just sees, the lower gown exposes Dan’s white thigh, the over tight at the upper part gives out his flat-chest an unwilling cleavage and also showing his long neck. Dan tries to hide most of the part with his hands, but he needs more helping hand for the task to complete. He is blushing deeply. So does Brian, for the first time ever.

“I said… don’t come in,” he lowers his head, embarrassed. Brian hurryingly closes the door behind him and both of them squishing into the small room, doesn’t want his mother sees this. He lets go a small sigh.

“I-I don’t know.”

“What don’t you know? Asking my permission first before entering the room or thinking twice before requesting me for being your partner at the ball?!” He spurts out everything. He knows it is quite embarrassing to say the word ‘partner’, but now he is totally desperate.

Brian turns his head away. Scratching his head, he tries to give his opinion.

“I think… you look great in that. Pretty,” he pauses, looks at Dan startles. “But if you hate it so much, then I don’t mind if you don’t want to be my partner,” he then opens the door and goes out. Dan couldn’t see it, but Brian’s face has been in rosy color since he enters and goes out the room.

Outside, Brian’s mother asks him about the gown.

“Never mind, I change my mind. I’m not going for the ball,” he walks towards the exit door. She looks confused. Dan finishes changing the gown and now in his regular shirt back, hand still holding the sky-colored gown. He looks at her in a complete confused too.

“What Brian says to you, aunty?”

“He says that he doesn’t want to go to the ball.”

Silent. The old grandfather clock moves slowly, too lazy to show time. Dan tries to open his mouth but she wants to talk first.

“I think you should convince him. He has been waiting for this kind of event since high school. The girl he talks about must be special, that gives him courage to him to join it,” Dan feels like he has been slap by unseen power upon hearing it. Now he feels guilty.

I’m the one who makes him like this, he thinks. And the only one who could give him spirit to do it again.

“When is the ball held?”

“A day after tomorrow I guess.”

“Well, in that case, I’m— eh, his partner is going to have this, please.”